I spoke to Don's wife a few minutes ago. Don is still riding towards the end of the special under his own power. Bike is busted up and he may or may not be hurt himself. Bike has no lights, route book, or nav systems (compass). ASO medical team are following him in to the end of the special.

Long story short lets keep our fingers crossed. He is not out of the race yet. When he gets to the bivioac and gets cleared medically then the big question is whether or not they can make the bike ridable for tomorrow. We will let everyone know once we know.

Thank to all the ADV Riders out there for your support. Lets keep "positive vibes" for Don !!

Cheers

DP

You GO Don!!!

Thanks for the update!

__________________Dreaming of Dakar
-Everyone has a max speed, 90% of that max speed is much safer and easier, and if that 90% speed isn't fast enough at Dakar, you enter the snowball. - neduro

That's better news about Don. Amazing that he's still going. I have this image in my mind of him limping his bike and himself through the desert, with the medical team following like vultures.

Here's one for rulebook ric678 and the other experts: Assuming he can keep riding, is there a cutoff time by which he has to make the ASS or the bivouac before being disqualified? Or, is he in it until he misses his start time for tomorrow's stage (and by how much can he miss the start time before he's disqualified)?

Bluebull, what is latest Don could start?

__________________

"Avoidance of danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."

I spoke with Chavo this evening. After starting 150th, he said the track was destroyed. So much dust and fesh fesh and that every fesh fesh section was just a disaster to get through after 149 bikes before him. But he is in good spirits and pledges to "keep going like the energizer bunny."

He's such a good guy and so badly wants a good result while promoting Bolivia for hopeful inclusion next year.

Chavo is an excellent guy, and he has the personal support of the president of Bolivia.

THanks for the update, Doyle!

VAMOS CHAVO!!!

__________________Dreaming of Dakar
-Everyone has a max speed, 90% of that max speed is much safer and easier, and if that 90% speed isn't fast enough at Dakar, you enter the snowball. - neduro

He may still clock in at waypoints but after a certain time, the finish line crew packs it in and while he'd ultimately clock a time, he may never show up on the final list for stage 3. Unless we hear by way of the bivouac, sometimes we won't know until he pops up on the start list for the next stage. If he is on that list, he made it in.

Assuming he can keep riding, is there a cutoff time by which he has to make the ASS or the bivouac before being disqualified?

He has to get into the bivouac before the first bike leaves in the morning, then he has to looby to be allowed to continue. Then he has to pretty much leave the bivouac on or near his departure time (last bike out). Then he has to make it to the start of the Special on time. If he's too late to the start of the Special (like two hours or more), he can be DQ at that point.

He may still clock in at waypoints but after a certain time, the finish line crew packs it in and while he'd ultimately clock a time, he may never show up on the final list for stage 3. Unless we hear by way of the bivouac, sometimes we won't know until he pops up on the start list for the next stage. If he is on that list, he made it in.

Yes he is probably on the start list and not yet on withdrawls...Its only about an hour liaison from the end of the stage, so lets hope he makes it. If he can make in by 4 I reckon he will be allowed to continue provided his bike is safe to ride.

__________________Dreaming of Dakar
-Everyone has a max speed, 90% of that max speed is much safer and easier, and if that 90% speed isn't fast enough at Dakar, you enter the snowball. - neduro

They probably had a "hunch"?
"Hey Carl, you know that problem our bikes have? the one with the fuel pump? maybe I'm going crazy here but bare with me: what if we send some spare fuel pumps on the special with that nascar guy as a delivery boy? maybe this way, our riders may actually finish the stage..."

Back in our day... we were lucky if we had a sheet of corrugated iron from one of the humpy's outside of Agadez to kip under...

Quote:

Originally Posted by troy safari carpente

I'm just waiting for someone to pioneer the baggy Sparco diving suit with the calvin kleins showing look... then it's game over!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deadly99

Maybe Bieber will rent a hummer next year

I guess like all things the Dakar is changing, even though there are many men and the ASO who claim it is not. Im afraid with the shorter stages over more days for a shorter total distance is going to do that. People are getting soft, what happened to that camelman image that I used to see riding accross Mauritania? How will we ever get back to the way it was? I think if we were honest with ourselves, it will never be the same again. Its going to get more and more technical and more and more flash as time marches on. Where else can they take the Dakar? To Mongolia maybe? Where else apart from Africa? And if its anywhere else, will they get the same exuberant, money waving crowds? Not it wont.

Thats why the Dakar cannot leave South America. Its about big business, and big names like Volkswagen these days. Who is seen to be doing it. Sabine did not envision the top 25 guys walking out each morning in their clean gleaming riding suits every day did he? Newly refreshed riders climbing out from under their down duvets in their air conditioned campers, perfect looking bikes, while only a handful of pitiful, dirty malle moto guys continue with their old school methods, situated close to the toilets. I dunno about you guys but as much as I love the Dakar, the race, the road books, the fact that it remains brutal, its not the same Dakar I signed up for buts its all we got. Not that this by any means takes anything away from the guys battling their asses off to get to the end of each day. Look at Don Hatton, Ignacio Chivite - And Luis for example. These guys are the Dakar and I salute them....But if we were brutally honest with ourselves, the rest of it has become a bit of a rich boys game hasn't it?

The question we need to ask ourselves is what next? As things change something new evolves right? Where will the Dakar be in 10 years time?

__________________Dreaming of Dakar
-Everyone has a max speed, 90% of that max speed is much safer and easier, and if that 90% speed isn't fast enough at Dakar, you enter the snowball. - neduro

He may still clock in at waypoints but after a certain time, the finish line crew packs it in and while he'd ultimately clock a time, he may never show up on the final list for stage 3. Unless we hear by way of the bivouac, sometimes we won't know until he pops up on the start list for the next stage. If he is on that list, he made it in.

That's kind of what I figured. Hopefully there will be some chatter at the bivouac when he arrives.